Beauty secrets of the Westminster Dog Show

2,500 dogs competed for the Westminster Kennel Club’s 150th Best in Show. Last week, our canine columnist investigated their beauty secrets.

People say the Met Gala bathroom is where some of the most interesting beauty conversations happen.

Well, I wonder if those people have ever been to the Westminster bathroom.

“I have chicken liver in my bra,” one handler whispered to me, adjusting herself in the mirror. She must have seen my eyes widen, because she quickly explained that she only kept the chicken liver on one side. The other side was, obviously, for cheese.

I soon discovered she was not the only handler with a bra functioning as a charcuterie board. When I started inquiring about these little Westminster secrets, I heard about undergarments stuffed with turkey jerky and kangaroo, tiny tennis balls, duck feathers, and a selection of dried meats. I met one woman with an entire ribeye tucked into her skirt pocket. (She had a Great Dane.)

A Great Dane at Westminster.Photo by Fern Watt

Despite being someone who travels with an abundance of snacks and always has very specific hot and cold beverages on hand, I couldn’t fully relate to all of the handler Westminster fashion secrets. Their show dogs, on the other hand, had a lot to offer me in the self-care and beauty department.

For starters, I learned from Miley the Shar-Pei that soft, cute, billowy forehead wrinkles are absolutely in. And not just in, but standard.

Miley the Shar-PeiPhoto by Fern Watt

A number of snoring Bulldogs reminded me to prioritize beauty rest. Several were fully napping (they are in the Non-Sporting Group for a reason) as Westminster chaos rushed around them, completely unbothered that Long-Haired Chihuahua #13 had just won another ribbon or that Cookie, the Maltese, had become a Non-Sporting Group crowd favorite. My therapist is always telling me to set clearer boundaries around rest. So, I will now close my eyes for four minutes, without guilt. Growth!

A bulldog taking a snooze.Photo by Fern Watt

Speaking of beauty rest, this Poodle showed me that a comfortable, reliable, favorite pillow is highly important.

A poodle relaxes before the show.Photo by Fern Watt

Monty the Giant Schnauzer, the 149th Best in Show, taught me that plenty of exercise, including a few pre-performance zoomies, is essential for releasing rambunctious energy. And, of course, all of the dogs revealed the importance of a great hair cut.

A Bichon FrisePhoto by Fern Watt

Then, I got to meet Penny! The fierce, statuesque Doberman Pinscher, and this year’s 150th Best in Show!
After Penny won, her proud handler, Andy Linton, brought her over to the press box. There were so many questions I wanted to ask.
What is your morning routine?
How much protein is in your diet?
And do the other dogs in the Working Group ever actually work? Because that Saint Bernard looks like he’s never worked a day in his life!

Penny, the Best in Show!Photo by Fern Watt

But The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Dog Magazine were all there, so the one question that spilled out was: “Does she have a nickname?”

“Monkey,” Linton stated. “Her owners call her Monkey.”

Monkey? Really?? Of course, I don’t know Penny personally. But sitting in front of me— elegant and impeccably focused—there were many other nicknames I would have guessed before… Monkey. Linton emphasized that sometimes she really does act silly.

As I traveled home that night from Madison Square Garden, I kept thinking about Penny in Monkey Mode. That evening, I had seen her in Number One Working Dog in the country mode. Doberman Pinscher Number 38 mode. The 150th Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show mode!

But perhaps Penny contains multitudes. Perhaps at home she stops working. Stops performing. She’s silly and playful with the humans she loves. She’s Monkey! And maybe training and knowing when to show up polished and powerful, and when to go home and be silly with your people—is a beauty secret in itself. Sure, I’m projecting a little. But Monkey, after all, is Best in Show.

Congratulations, Monkey!

Penny, the Best in Show!Photo by Fern Watt